


Blood Isn't the Only Bond

by fireflysglow_archivist



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M, Implied Kaylee Frye/Simon Tam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-05
Updated: 2005-09-05
Packaged: 2019-04-29 10:31:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14470737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireflysglow_archivist/pseuds/fireflysglow_archivist
Summary: An unusual form of payment brings a time of reverie and reflection for the Serenity crew while planetside.





	Blood Isn't the Only Bond

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Firefly’s Glow](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Firefly%27s_Glow), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Firefly's Glow collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/fireflysglow/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** Readers may feel hungry after reading. ,)

  
Author's notes: Readers may feel hungry after reading. ,)  


* * *

Blood Isn't the Only Bond

## Blood Isn't the Only Bond

"You sure you can handle this one, Wash?" Tensions were running high - the last thing they needed was failure at this late junction. 

"I've been through worse, Captain." Wash's tongue poked between his lips as he worked. 

"That's my man," Zoe murmured rubbing his shoulder absently as she leaned over, watching his progress. 

In the midst of a complicated maneuver, Wash suddenly paused. "Lambie?" 

"Yes?" 

"You're messing up my reach." 

"Oh.." Zoe released her grip on Wash's arm, pulling back to even with the captain so she could watch without interfering. The hot grease was beginning to sputter, anyway. 

"I could just kiss that man for giving us part of our payment in bacon," Kaylee remarked from the other side of the fire, leaning over a moment to smell the rich scent of real meat in the fry-pan. "Just _kiss_ him." 

"You can stop saying that anytime, you know." Simon smiled and slipped his arm around the mechanic's shoulder, and looked oddly relieved when she giggled and rested her head on his shoulder. 

"You probably had this stuff all the time growin' up, didn't you?" 

"No..." Simon smiled. "Mother thought it was too fatty - we only got real bacon as a treat, the rest of the time it was synthetics. They were supposed to taste the same, but River and I could always tell." 

"Synths." Mal snorted. "Pile of protein and vitamins molded up to look like food. If I'm gonna eat something that ain't real food, don't bother makin' it look like something better." 

Kaylee grinned. "We got it as a treat, too, mostly on Sundays or holidays. Too expensive otherwise. Crispy bacon, black coffee or herb tea and milk if we were too little for that, potatoes, and eggs if we had `em, fried up in the grease after Mama made the bacon. And Daddy'd tell us stories `bout Earth-that-was, that his Daddy'd told him. Made a real good change from _congee_ and _yu za kuei_ or plain rice." 

"Same on Shadow," Mal put in, looking too distracted by memory to realize that he was sharing a bit of his past. The others held their collective breath, as though waiting for the spell to break. "Up at dawn with a cuppa coffee for the first round of chores, then back to the farm-house, and we'd have griddle cakes, bread or rice, bacon or sausage if it was a big day, maybe porridge..." He trailed off. "Less and less with the bacon and sausage, as time went by." 

Jayne grunted his agreement. "You done nursin' those things yet, Wash? A man could starve with you cookin'." 

"They're not finished." Wash flipped a flapjack with an expert twist of his wrist. 

Simon stared hard at the bacon, flapjacks, and eggs in the fry pan, thinking hard about breakfasts when he and River were young. How many mornings had they thoughtlessly sat down to dim sum, oatmeal with jam or honey, synth bacon, eggs, sausages, grapefruit, or whatever other foods he now realized were luxuries and special occasion food for the rest of the `verse? 

"There's no point in feeling guilty." Inara's gentle voice surprised him, but the hot cup of green tea she pressed into his hands was a welcome comfort. "We didn't exactly live rough at the temple on Sihnon, either, but we also aren't at fault for those who didn't have as much." 

"Some are rich, some are poor, some have and some have not. Different sorrows and the same dreams," River put in, leaning her chin on her fist as she watched Wash's cooking with avid interest. 

"Exactly." Inara smiled and patted Simon's shoulder. "At House Madrassa, breakfast in itself was a rare thing, only for holy days. Normally we'd wake up late, after a night of practicing and entertaining clients, and the servants would bring whatever we wanted from the kitchens. I usually had tea, rice, fruit and some kind of dumplings." 

"I'd love to've had fruit every day." Kaylee's smile became wistful, and 

"Naturally, we had the opposite schedule at the monastery. The day began before dawn, and after morning services and prayers we'd have a bowl of rice to start us, and that was generally all until afternoon." 

"Can't rightly see why anybody'd live like that by choice," Jayne grumbled as Wash served up the first plate of flapjacks and bacon to Zoe, then the second to Mal. "Hey, come on!" 

"You gripe, you get it last." 

"It's a matter of deprivation for spiritual growth," Book explained, accepting the plate offered to him. "Resisting the temptations of the world makes a man stronger." 

Jayne's only response was another grunt, but he poured himself a cup of coffee and watched in silence as Wash passed loaded plates around to Inara, Kaylee, River, Simon, and then, finally, to Jayne before taking the last for himself. "Finally," the merc growled, sitting back on a rock to attack his food. 

"Enjoy it, people. We'll be back in the sky tomorrow, no more meals over the fire til the next friendly planet." 

"And that could be a while," Zoe reminded them. "Good food, husband," she added, after a bite of the pancakes. 

"I should ask Mama for her syrup recipe, next time we pass by. These'd be shiny as anything with a bit of that, and I'm sure I could make it..." 

As the chatter around thte fire died into silent appreciation of real food, Simon felt an unaccustomed calm fall over him. Despite his initial misgivings, he'd long since found himself regarding the crew of Serenity as his and River's new family. The old one didn't bear thinking on, anymore - they'd been disowned as firmly as anybody could be. For a time, he'd clung to the idea that River was all that mattered, River was all he needed in his `verse, all he could ever need or want, and that he could be all that <i>she</i> needed, too. Doctor, caregiver, protector, friend... 

But then Kaylee'd started to edge in on his heart, and Mal had proved that his loyalty extended even to crewmembers he didn't much like and would be better off without, and Inara reminded him of their mother sometimes, in the way she lay a gentle hand on River's hair, or softly urged him to drop whatever concerns he was worrying at in his compulsive way. And Book, strange and unknown as he was, was another quiet, solid presence in a life that, otherwise, might've been too fluid for Simon's sanity. And he couldn't very well resist the humor Wash offered, even if Zoe still made him feel like an idiot boy who'd somehow managed to slip his stupidity past everyone's notice up til she saw him, took one look, and saw right through every false confidence. 

River snuck into Kaylee's plate and stole away a crumb of bacon, and Kaylee retaliated by reaching around him and snagging the last square of flapjack from his sister's plate. Then, with a squeal, both girls were up and running, chasing each other through rocks and sagebrush, screaming and laughing at each other as they went. Simon couldn't help smiling as he saw River tackle the larger girl, both of them coming up dusty and disheveled, but grinning broadly. 

"You got scraped with a rock, _mei mei_." Kaylee picked up a napkin, spat, and wiped the blood from River's elbow before Simon could protest. Neither girl noticed his wince, fortunately, and River resumed her place beside her brother with a placid smile. 

"The blood isn't significant. Only larger amounts would cause damage," she informed them both solemnly. "And I have enough blood to lose a little, now. I didn't right after I woke up again, but it replenishes in time. Seven years is enough to replenish every cell in the human body, completely new, without a single one remaining from the past. And now that I'm here, it happens faster." 

Simon nodded slowly. They could all use a new beginning or two, a chance to start over, in hopefully less time than seven years. 

"Blood isn't the only bond, anyway." 

*May the gods bless Google: information about _congee_ and _yu za kuei_ as traditional Chinese breakfast foods can be found at: http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa100499.htm. 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title:   **Blood Isn't the Only Bond**   
Author:   **Rivendellrose**   [website]   
Details:   **Standalone**  |  **G**  |  **gen**  |  **7k**  |  **09/05/05**   
Characters:  Malcolm, Zoe, Wash, Kaylee, Inara, Jayne, Simon, River, Book   
Pairings:  hints of Simon/Kaylee   
Summary:  An unusual form of payment brings a time of reverie and reflection for the Serenity crew while planetside.   
Notes:  Readers may feel hungry after reading. ;)   
  



End file.
